ARTICLES ABOUT DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE BY DATE - PAGE 3

MADHURAI: It's A mix of caste, alliance feud, factionalism, entertainment and development issues at the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency. Fighting it out for the May 10 elections are sitting MP, five time contestant and CPI (M) candidate P Mohan, debutant A K Bose from AIADMK and 1998 winner Subramaniam Swamy. While arithmetic and caste equations clearly favour AIADMK, P Mohan campaigning on a bicycle is leaning on his clean image and the strong Democratic Progressive Alliance (comprising DMK, MDMK, Congress, PMK, CPI (M)

CHENNAI: After a gap of almost 21 months since the release of 'Baba' on August 15, 2002, Tamil superstar Rajinikant has announced the launch of a new film titled 'Jaggu Bhai'. Shooting for the film is slated to start in July and is to hit the screens this Diwali. The film is a home production and will be produced by Arunachala Cine Creations. Three persons ? Rajini's brother R Sathyanarayana Rao Gaekwad, the All-India Rajinikant Fan Clubs Association general secretary, Mr K Satyanarayanan, and K Murai, the manager of Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam (a marriage hall owned by Rajinikant)

CHENGALPET: PMK founder, Mr Ramadoss has oft-repeated that the alliance, which PMK is part of, is the winning alliance. This has been proved right in the 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha elections and also the 2001 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. Despite Superstar Rajnikant's "voice" asking his fans to vote out the PMK in the six seats allotted to that party in the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) and the actor pledging his vote for the "BJP alliance", Mr Ramdoss's statement may well continue to hold true for the May 10 Lok Sabha elections in the state.

NEW DELHI: Red, when too deep, begins to resemble saffron. Or ask the comrades in Tamil Nadu where a section of the broader Left is hobnobbing with Jayalalithaa, and consequently with her ally BJP. Defying its senior allies CPM and CPI, who have formed a front with DMK and Congress, the All India Forward Bloc is supporting Jayalalithaa's AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The Forward Bloc says it chose to remain by the AIADMK's side because it saw no reason to walk out of an understanding with it. The party also does not savour an alliance with Congress.

CHENNAI: The battle lines are now clearly drawn between the fans of super star Rajinikant and PMK, which is part of DMK-Congress front. The fans are out to work for the defeat of the PMK in all the six Lok Sabha seats, where the party has put up its candidates in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Rajini has not come out officially yet on taking on PMK. But, with his approval his close aide, Mr K Satyanarayana, general secretary of the All India Rajinikant's Fans' Association, broke the silence on behalf of the star on Sunday in Pondicherry.

CHENNAI: DMK president M Karunanidhi has stepped in to resolve the fissures in the Congress over the selection of candidates for Tamil Nadu. This was necessitated, since the DMK heads the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), which also includes the Congress, the PMK, the MDMK and the two Communist parties. Fissures in the state unit of the Congress came out in the open earlier this week, after supporters of TNCC president, Mr G K Vasan held demonstrations and burnt effigies of senior Congress leader in-charge of Tamil Nadu affairs, Mr Kamal Nath.

CHENNAI: Silence is golden. But political parties in Tamil Nadu may choose not to accept this, even as they prepare for the Lok Sabha battle on May 10. The continued silence of superstar Rajnikant on whether he will extend his support for any party has created discomfiture for some, while others are hoping against hope that he will finally give in. But, mum seems to be the word from the actor, who has a vast following across the state through his...

NEW DELHI: Taking strong exception to the AIADMK highlighting Congress president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin in its manifesto, the DMK, the Congress' alliance partner in Tamil Nadu, will approach the Election Commission, demanding stringent action against the former for violating the model code of conduct. Alluding at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the AIADMK manifesto refers to her "obvious reluctance to be known as an Indian. " The BJP's southern allies ? AIADMK and the TDP in Andhra Pradesh are the two parties that have clearly made Ms Gandhi's foreign origin an election issue in their respective states.

Chennai: Simmering differences within the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) over the allotment of Pondicherry Lok Sabha seat to the PMK hit a new peak today with PMK founder Ramdoss stating that the issue cannot be re-opened. "Its a closed chapter. We don't want to reopen the issue," he told reporters here. PMK was the first one to conclude its deal with DMK, which heads the alliance in Tamil Nadu. As per the agreement, the PMK was allotted six seats including Pondicherry.